CMCF and FINAS to meet producers of Madu atau Racun this afternoon

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Content Forum and the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia will meet the producers of Madu atau Racun and the streaming platform iQIYI after the drama triggered public concern and controversy.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the meeting would seek a comprehensive explanation of the drama’s content. The issue has been widely discussed on social media and follows a statement from Zulkifli Hasan, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for religious affairs.

Fahmi said over-the-top streaming content is not currently subject to FINAS licensing oversight in the same direct way as conventional film and cinema activities. FINAS regulates matters related to filmmaking and cinemas, while the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission oversees television broadcasting and communications. Streaming platforms, he said, are not yet fully covered by the licensing framework applied to conventional broadcasting.

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Creative freedom must be accompanied and balanced by the responsibility to respect religious values, social harmony and ethnic and cultural sensitivities that form the core and foundation of our national unity.

The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, known as Jakim, will also take part in the meeting. Zulkifli’s department had rejected the drama’s broadcast, saying it regretted the inclusion of elements that allegedly touched on religious sensitivities and local cultural norms, whether explicitly or implicitly.

Fahmi said creative freedom must be balanced with responsibility toward religious values, social harmony and ethnic and cultural sensitivities. He added that the government would not compromise with productions that touched on those issues and would not hesitate to take appropriate action if an assessment and investigation found breaches of guidelines, regulations or other applicable requirements.

FINAS is expected to issue a further statement on the meeting’s outcome and any follow-up measures on behalf of the parties involved.

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The government will not compromise with any drama or film production that touches on issues of religious and racial sensitivities in its work.